In c. 1267 a Brewhouse and Bakehouse was rebuilt at the Abbey during the abbacy of Abbot Roger II of Chichester. More or less than twenty years later, between 1283-1300, a new Brewhouse and Bakehouse Range was built to the north side of the Outer Court by Abbot Thomas Fyndon, this is a time when the Cellarer's quarters, or hall, was built on the south side of the Outer Court.

Excavations carried out by Canterbury Archaeological Trust in 1994 located the southern wall of the Bakehouse & Brewhouse Range as well as mettaling related to the Outer Court. During the late 14th - 15th century the range was partilly re-built and re-roofed, and extended to the north. The building appears to have been about 260 feet in length E-W and about 40 feet in width N-S, with a projecting square shaped northern spur annex. The eastern end at least was sub-divided into three aisles defined by rows of pier bases, suggesting that the building was of two storeys, with a complex vault supporting the upper floor. Springing off of the north wall was another square shaped building, added in the late 14th century which was perhaps later used as a malthouse. During this time the original northern spur of the building further west, was substantially rebuilt, whilst new internal passageways were inserted along the western side of the building and across its centre.

It was mostly dismantled after the Dissolution in 1538.

"Parts of two unusually large ceramic tripod-footed cauldrons were recovered from both sites: sites 9 produced the rim and handle of a green-glazed cauldron in a pale Wealden fabric and part of a Tyler Hill ware cauldron leg which is almost certainly from the same vessel as the two cauldron legs from Site 14. One of the cauldron legs is complete and with a length of 210mm it must be one of the largest ceramic cauldrons to have been found in this country. Part of the cauldron base also survives in another context but the rest of the vessel is unfortunately lacking, unless part of an unusually robust and scooted rim from Site 13 represents the same or a similar vessel.
Sites 9 and 14 also produced one or two dripping pans for collecting fat from roasting meat and four or five unusual cylindrical or tapered vessel rims… The remaining vessels consist of jugs and cooking pots.
Clearly, many of the vessels from the Bakehouse / Brewhouse range must relate to precisely these activities. At the very least the cauldrons point to food preparation on a large scale (?brewing the wort) and the other unusual and possibly industrial vessels from these sites might indicate more exotic activities, such as the distillation of spirits etc., although other more mundane uses should not be ruled out." (4).

Description from record TR 15 NE 307:
(TR 15445793 - see illustration card) A brewhouse and bakehouse range to the N of the cellarers range (TR 15 NE 305), St Augustine's Abbey. It was probably built in the late 1200s to replace Norman buildings. Ruins of a W wall remain. (1-2)

In 1993 an excavation by the Canterbury Archaeological Society uncovered part of a structure with walls supported on a 3 metre deep, rammed gravel floor. Within the walls were a series of clay floors, a total of twelve column bases. The column bases formed a northern, central and southern arcade line that would originally have supported a groin vault. The building formed the eastern end of the brewhouse range, constructed between 1283 and 1309 and apparently in use until 1538. Retrieved from the primary clay floor were two 13th century Whittle Tang knives, a large amount of medieval pottery and a small region of piain tile flooring. Attatched to the brewhouse range to the north via a stone bridging buttress was a square building. The structure was constructed in a similar style, therefore probably of the same date, as the brewhouse. The function of this building remains unknown. Set within the internal face was evidence of a timber framing. The building was destroyed in 1538 and the area to the north of the main abbey buildings appears to have become open land. Within the ruins of the medieval square building a brick oven was built, with an internal circular chamber, probably in the 18th century, and may have been used in bread manufacture (TR 15 NE 404). Beneath the brewhouse was found a number of features; a furnace (TR 15 NE 405), medieval pits (TR 15 NE 406) and Saxon occupation remains (TR 15 NE 406).(3)

Description from record TR 15 NE 1707:
Floors and walls of a Medieval building, industrial features (tanning and malting).

"Between 1983 and 1996 seventeen excavations, evaluations and watching/recording briefs were undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) within the grounds of Canterbury Christ Church University College… In 1996 CAT produced an interim assessment (Hicks 1996) [5] of the potential of the archive at that date. The remit of the document was to assess the quantity, quality and research potential of all the stratigraphic and finds data recovered by that time. It and included a costed recommendation for the post-excavation analysis and publication of the results of the work. Since then the stratigraphic report on the 1995 excavation has been completed (CCC95) and a major excavation (CCC96) undertaken. The aim of this report is to incorporate the results of the more recent work into the 1996 assessment, and to present the revised document to CCCUC and EH for their consideration." (4)

"There are three coins from the 1996 excavations which belong to this phase. All are Nuremberg jettons which are conventionally dated to AD 1500-70." (4)

"A total of 43 fragments of worked stone were retrieved from CCCUC. Most of these came from post-dissolution levels, though approximately 10 (all from Site 17) were found in situ. All the fragment probably derived from the Bakehouse / Brewhouse range of the Outer Court, or later additions to it: 33 came from the eastern end (Site 17), and 10 from the west (Site 14). Caen stone and Reigate stone are the most common types present, though Marquise oolitic limestone and various sandstones are also represented." (4)

"A further seventeen fragments of architectural stone came from the 1996 excavations. As with the earlier material, these fragments were largely recovered from post-medieval deposits and they consist principally of rubble, and of Caen stone with little or no traces of architectural detail. Two large fragments, however, do include details of mouldings. All of this material has been retained." (4)

"112 fragments of late medieval painted glass were recovered from the 1996 excavations, dispersed across nine contexts of Dissolution or later date. All of this material is late medieval, however, and it comes largely from diamond-shaped or square grisaille windows, and is decorated with geometric or foliage patterns… All of this material is of fourteenth or early fifteenth century date, and it can be associated with the late medieval refurbishment of the site." (4)

"Small quantities of late medieval lead window cames which framed these windows were also recovered both from the 1996 excavations, and from earlier sites." (4)

Additional bibliography (5-7)

Hicks, M. & Bennett, P., 1995, Christ Church College (Article in serial). SKE30323.

<1> Arch Cant 100 1984 181 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE34529.

<1> Tatton-Brown, T., 1985, Three Great Benedictine Houses in Kent: Their Buildings & Topography, Arch Cant 100 1984 181 (T Tatton-Brown) (Article in serial). SKE8094.

<2> Tatton-Brown, T. & Sparks, M., 1984, St Augustine's Abbey and the Royal Palace, St Augustine's Abbey and the Royal Palace CAT leaflet 1984 plan (T Tatton-Brown M Sparks) (Monograph). SKE8095.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1993, Christ Church College 1993 Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE8093.

<4> Hicks, Martin and Houliston, Mark, 1999, Archaeological Excavations at Canterbury Christ Church College. Assessment report on excavations conducted between 1983-1996 (Unpublished document). SKE31574.

<5> Hicks, Martin, 1996, Archaeological Excavations at Canterbury Christ Church College. Assessment Report on Excavations conducted between 1983-1995 (Unpublished document). SKE31570.

<6> Houliston, M., 1998, Christ Church College (Article in serial). SKE30333.

<7> Hicks, M., 1994, EXHIBTXT.WP (Machine readable data file). SKE30339.